AirPods: $ 100 billion in sales in 2026?

Apple could succeed in achieving a cumulative turnover with AirPods of a total of $ 100 billion in 2026 since the start of sales in 2016. The market researcher Counterpoint Research assumes this. According to this, the growth of the iPhone manufacturer’s division of at least 2.4 percent is expected. In particular, cheaper models such as the Airpods 4, which Apple 2024 had launched on the market, are particularly helpful. But expensive models such as the Airpods Max also help to increase the income. In addition, there are the models of Apple’s beats division-both over-ears as well as on-ears and plugs.

Sales as with Nintendo

Apple itself does not name any sales figures for audio products, always packing them into the area of ​​”other”. Most recently, the total turnover of this division, which calls itself “Wearables, Homes and Accessories”, was almost $ 19.2 billion in six months (numbers until the end of March 2025). Already last year it was said that Apple With AirPods alone $ 22 billion could generate in the fiscal year. That would be more sales than large corporations such as Spotify, Nintendo or Ebay.

Counterpoint believes that more health functions in Apple’s audio products could further increase sales. The Powerbeats Pro 2 of Beats, which contain an integrated heart rate sensor, started. Lower prices and entry -level models could also help to place the products better in emerging markets, including India, Indonesia or Vietnam.

New models in the pipeline

However, nothing has changed in Apple’s Airpods pipeline for a long time. Observers and users have been waiting for the AirPods Pro 3 for a long time. Apple recently updated the second generation in September 2023, but only retrofitted USB-C ports. Since then, new functions have been added via firmware updates, most recently a sleep recognition.

With the Airpods Max, users also want a new model. Here, too, only the old variant is resold, but now equipped with USB-C (including USB-C audio). Technically, for example, in the case of smoking suppression (ANC), nothing happened here – and Apple continues to sell the models at almost 600 euros at the standard price.